Who am I?
by Jiraiya
Summary: PreCannon. The search for an identity.
1. The night it all went to hell

Title: Who am I?

This fic is AU. Any complaints regarding context can be forwarded to my left middle finger.

Summary: The search for an identity.

Prologue: The night it all went to hell.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Xxx That Night Near The Uchiha Compound xxX

Uchiha Itachi was engaged in the fight of his life. His entire clan had been slaughtered save him and his little brother. Itachi had escaped the surprise attack and taken down the assailants one by one. He had been surprised to see that as he killed them, they left no corpse. There would be no evidence.

"Itachi-nii, w-what's going on? W-what is w-wrong with M-mom and Dad?" Uchiha Sasuke sobbed. He had been late home from shuriken practise, only to find corpses of his family- uncles and aunts and cousins and grandparents, widely dispersed about the street. Sasuke stopped dead still. Just taking in the horrible sight of his family, not being able to move from the scene, completely paralysed by the shock of all the death. They had all been alive when he left. The silence was deafening. Anger, fear, confusion, sadness, all filled little Sasuke's head. Then the six year old heard a sound of clashing metal coming from the living room of his house. He ran to investigate; the sight that met his eyes were the worst yet, Itachi in mortal combat with a deadly enemy, and the corpses of both his parents, lying haplessly on the floor.

Itachi looked over to where his younger brother was. He had just succeeded in wounding his opponent; he wouldn't get up anytime soon. Itachi was filled with relief that his little brother was OK. The man Itachi had just been fighting was masked, but his grey hair showed. In a move quicker than his current state of health should allow, he lunged for Sasuke, trapping him in a genjutsu, before running as fast as his legs could carry him out of there. Itachi tried to give chase, but his concern for his younger brother was momentarily trumping his lust for vengeance. He looked over to the slumped form of his brother. It was obvious to the last Sharingan-master that his brother was caught in a genjutsu. He formed a one-handed tiger seal, and with the other hand touched Sasuke, he then said the word 'Kai', and headed for the family dojo, he had something to get, if he was to track down the bastard.

With the scroll of family HiJutsu and DouJutsu in his vest, Itachi ran out of the Dojo. ANBU were quickly coming to the scene, only to witness a bloodied Itachi run towards the village walls. A couple of ANBU gave chase. The remaining ANBU secured the perimeter, and had Sasuke admitted to the hospital. Despite the Older Uchiha's attempt to undo the genjutsu, it was too strong for just the 'Kai' to work. Sasuke was still under the effects of it, and thus was tricked into believing that the one behind the genocide of his family was none other than his beloved brother, Itachi. The boy fell into an uneasy sleep, constantly haunted by the sights he had taken in, cursing his brother and vowing revenge.

Xxx Same Time At The Hyuuga Mansion xxX

"Otou-sama, what's going on?" A six-year-old Hyuuga Hinata asked her father.

"I don't know, Hinata-chan, but find a place to hide while I sort this out," Hyuuga Hiashi said in a voice that meant business. He got into fighter-stance.

"Hai, Chichi-ue," Hinata ran deeper into the mansion, only to be grabbed by a ninja in all black, and knocked unconscious. The ninja then snuck the same way out that he had come in, while his subordinates kept the Hyuuga head busy. Finally they would get their hands on the secrets of the Byakugan. The black clad ninja covered the both of them in an invisibility jutsu, and made a mad dash towards the village wall, before calling of his teammates through his earpiece, whoever was left alive.

Xxx Same Time Close To The Hokage Tower xxX

"**Alright, stupid child, you only get one chance at this, so make it count!"** The Kitsune Youma growled at its six-year-old container.

"_I know that, Baka-Kitsune!"_ Uzumaki growled back.

:Flashback:

_Three months earlier:_

Uzumaki Naruto was beat, to say the least. Being out all day training like no tomorrow would do that to you, especially if you were only six. Once he reached the bed in his rundown apartment, he fell asleep before his head hit the pillow.

:In Naruto's mind:

"**Child!"**

"_Huh? Who said that?"_

"**Child! I demand your presence before me! Come to me at once and bow down in awe!"**

Naruto started walking towards the source of the voice, not knowing what else to do. He didn't have to walk long before he saw the cage.

"**Come closer, child!"** Naruto was more than a little apprehensive. The gates to the cage were huge in every aspect of the word, and only held together by a little paper slip with the kanji for 'seal' on it. So if the cages size had any relation with the proportion of what it held, it was only natural for the six-year-old to be ever so cautious. He inched his way towards the cage, utilizing every ounce of courage his small frame could produce. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a clawed paw that indeed indicated that the cage housed something of equal size, swept at Naruto through the bars of cage, missing him by mere inches. The shockwave that followed the impact caused Naruto to fall on his ass.

"_What the hell?" _Naruto stubbornly got back on his feet.

"**Don't flatter yourself mortal. Hell is nothing compared to being confined in this _incredible_ small and messy mind of yours." **The head of the biggest beast Naruto had ever seen reared its ugly face.

"_W-what are you?"_ Naruto was scared shitless and awestruck at the same time.

"**Foolish mortal. Do you know nothing? Have you not heard of Kyuubi no Kitsune? The King of Demons?"**

"_K-Kyuubi?" _To say that Naruto was shocked would be the understatement of the year.

"**Indeed, impudent child."** The giant fox glared at Naruto.

"_But- But I heard you were killed! In fact, they celebrate your death every year. How can you be here if you're dead?"_

"**I would think that is quite obvious. IT IS BECAUSE I'M _NOT_ DEAD!" **The fox roared with all its might.

"_W-wha? But- but they celebrate your death every year… on my birthday…"_

"**Insolent mongrels! My power is absolute! I shall have my revenge a hundred times over when I get out of here!"** The fox made an attempt to ram the gates, and when they wouldn't budge, it let out a ferocious howl.

"**I am here, due to an unfortunate… _fluke_, the cause of which you know as the fourth Hokage. No mere mortal could ever hope to kill me, Hokage or not, so he sealed me within you. It is only a matter of time before I get out of here. My revenge shall _NOT_ be halted by a mere mortal fluke!"**

"_N-no! I w-won't allow it! I won't allow you or anyone to hurt my village!" _

"**What do you care? They hate you, they want nothing more than to kill you, you should know this, it's not like they haven't tried, now is it? How many times have I been forced to heal your puny mortal body to prevent us from dying? I've lost count. Why should you care about this village when it obviously doesn't care about you?"**

"_N-no! I deserve that!"_ Naruto shouted, recounting the words of the villagers.

"**Do you really? What makes you deserve it? Do you act so different, so much worse than any of the other children around here? The answer is no. They hate you, because they fear you, they fear you because of me, and rightfully so. Had I been not been in here, I would have killed them all in ways so horrible, that your human mind can't even begin to comprehend it!" **

"_N-no! I-I d-deserve… I-I…d-don't know… anymore…" _Naruto was crying. He didn't care if the most powerful demon to ever have walked the realm of mortals were not three feet away from him. He didn't care as the previous words of the fox sunk in. Suddenly, Naruto's despair turned into pure rage, and the little six-year-old got to his feet defiantly glared at the giant beast.

"_It's your fault, you damn fox! I hate you!" _He shouted.

"**Be that as it may, they still let it go out on you, don't they? As long as you remain the puny little runt you are, they will continue to beat you and hurt you, in hopes to eliminate you. The reason I contacted you, is because I grow tired of your weakness. It is affecting not only you, but me as well because you are my container. Therefore I am willing to lower myself to the point of offering you this deal: I will help you gain the power you need to earn the respect we both deserve, and all I ask in return, is that you do as I say, without question. Do we have a deal?"**

"_Will you ask me to destroy Konoha? Because if you do, I won't accept."_

"**Why do you still care for this place? Never mind, however this condition of yours is of little consequence, at least for the time being. Now this deal of ours will force us to leave this village. Are you prepared for that?" **

Leave the village? That was definitely not what Naruto had expected, but he guessed it wouldn't hurt. He wasn't a shinobi, not yet anyway, so he wouldn't become a missing-nin, and after having contemplated the fox' words he seriously doubted that he'd be missed.

"_Ok, I accept."_

:Flashback end:

He had noticed the Alarms being raised. And all the ANBU and the Hokage himself were all out tending to the emergencies. Naruto couldn't have asked for a better chance. He snuck into the big red building, with little trouble. Thanks to the fox demon residing inside him, stealth came second nature to Naruto. One could say the tenant was paying rent, no matter how un-voluntary it might have been. His destination was the Hokage's office. Naruto had one goal, the forbidden scroll of seals.

"_Alright, let's see, where to look?"_ Naruto thought to himself, he paused and looked out the window, to see a red moon shining over Konoha. His glance wandered around the room, and got stuck on an object on the wall.

"_Aha, Sometimes the best place to hide something is in plain sight… well, I guess sometimes just wasn't this time, was it old man?"_ Naruto thought. He grabbed the scroll and prepared to get out, when his eyes rested on another item, which radiated pure power. It was the Raijin, Nidaime's lightning sword, but Naruto didn't know that. When active, the blade was a solidified beam of lightning, supposedly able to cut through anything. That might come in handy later on. Naruto decided to grab that too. When it was deactivated, it was just the hilt. No blade meant no sheath, and no sheath meant it would be easier to conceal. Naruto leapt into the night, destination: unknown, but it sure as hell wasn't within the walls of Konoha.

_**Tsuzuku…**_


	2. Progress

Title: Who am I?

This fic is AU. Any complaints regarding context can be forwarded to my right middle finger.

Summary: The search for an identity.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 1: Progress.

Xxx Outside The Northern Walls Of Konoha xxX

Itachi was frantic. His target had left no trace as to which direction he'd gone. In fact, the only evidence of human life having been there at all were a few scattered traps that Itachi easily spotted with his Sharingan.

In no time at all, ANBU arrived at the scene.

"Uchiha Itachi, Please come with us. You are wanted for questioning." One of them said.

"No! Don't come any closer! There's …" he was cut off as the ANBU squad just triggered several of the traps. They didn't have time to move out of the way.

"Shit!" Itachi cursed. The ANBU had been after him, and now they were dead. For them to follow him, they must have seen him leaving the scene of his family's massacre. Question was, did they also see that he was chasing someone, and not fleeing a scene? Chances were that they did not, seeing as they were after him to question him and not to assist him. And now they were dead. That was not good. Itachi realized that without the real perpetrator there, all evidence would imply that Itachi was the one behind it all. The others ones that had been in on it, left no corpses as they fell, dropping like flies for Itachi's flaming rage. And Sasuke; his testimony wouldn't be worth much as he had been under the effects of a genjutsu. No, the only choice left for Itachi would be to find the guy behind it all and make him confess to Ibiki. Until then, Itachi wouldn't be able to show his face in Konoha. He ran west.

Xxx Outside The Western Walls Of Konoha xxX

A black clad ninja ran for all he was worth. He had just kidnapped the heir to the Hyuuga family, and since he got no reply over his earpiece he could only assume that his subordinates were all dead. Not very surprising, after all they had taken on the head of the Hyuuga clan.

He carried the Hyuuga heiress under his arm, not even giving it a second thought as to how it might affect the little girl. This however would be his undoing, for all the jumping and twisting he did to avoid leaving traceable tracks, shook the girl awake. The little girl bit into his hand, forcing him to release her.

"Why you little bitch!" he yelled at her. He prepared a kunai. While the girl might have to be alive at delivery, nobody said anything about her being in one piece. The girl just stared at his with fear in her eye, and let out a scream worthy of a banshee. The man covered his ears to shield himself from the unearthly sound. Hinata, as was the girl's name, took to her feet and ran. She knew it wouldn't be long till he caught up with her. She could only pray for help.

No more than three seconds later, the man was pinned to a tree by several well-placed kunai, very clearly dead. She looked over to the direction of the kunai and saw a leaf-nin. He looked at her and smiled.

"Hello."

Xxx With Itachi xxX

Itachi was in full sprint when he heard it, an unholy scream. He ran to investigate. Before long, a little girl came into his view. She had dark-blue hair, and pale eyes with a hint of lavender. A Hyuuga. She was running from something, a something that turned into being very plain looking ninja, clad in all black, revealing no features, not even a village insignia. Itachi attacked. He threw several kunai, all of which hit dead on, before the man even knew he was being attacked. With the man perished, Itachi leapt over to the body to inspect his handiwork and ensure that the man really was expired. He was. Itachi turned to look over at the little Hyuuga. He smiled.

"Hello." He said.

"H-hello." She said.

"I'm Uchiha Itachi, who are you?"

"I-I'm H-Hinata… H-Hyuuga H-Hinata, sir."

"Nice to meet you Hinata, are you hurt?"

"N-no… I'll b-be f-fine, thank you, sir."

"Please, drop the sir business, it makes me feel old." Itachi said in a joking manner, trying to relieve some of the tension felt. He _was_ only 12, after all. He smiled at the girl.

"O-ok… I won't d-do it… a-anymore. I'm s-sorry." She looked down as though she thought he'd be angry with her. Like her father always was.

"None of that, you haven't done anything wrong."

"R-really?"

"Really. Are you capable of getting back to Konoha alone?"

"W-won't y-you f-follow me?"

"I simply can't go back yet. I have a certain _someone_ to find first."

"C-can't?

"Yes. It appears that I have been set up, and without the proper evidence I can't claim my innocence, and would be arrested on sight. By the way, you still haven't answered my question. Can you get back to Konoha on your own?"

"I'm a-afraid…"

"Oh… I see. Well, I would hate myself if I just left you here… Tell you what; why don't you come with me and I'll protect you, and then when I've accomplished what I have to, we'll go back together. How does that sound?"

"O-okay… I-I t-think I'd l-like t-that." Hinata looked at the boy, and gave a nervous smile.

Xxx Outside The Eastern Walls Of Konoha xxX

Naruto was running, as fast as his six-year-old legs could carry him. He had acted purely on the fox' orders, as per their agreement. He had been told to steal the scroll and he had done so. He had been told to flee the village and he had done that too. With surprising ease one might add. The next order was to run and not look back for the better part of a week. The fox on the other hand had put himself in charge of hiding their aura and masking their presence.

It started to rain, which was good. Because more likely than not, by the time anyone found out about the missing items, the rain would have washed away any tracks of Demon vessel. The scroll was encased, so he didn't have to worry about it getting wet, thankfully. He had no idea as to where he was running and the fox wasn't much help either, only saying that he'd know when he got there. Already had he been in a full out sprint for close to 3 hours, and his six-year-old body was starting to feel the strain, begging for rest, so when Naruto saw a small village or settlement ahead, he thanked his lucky stars and quickly began his search for shelter. He wouldn't start examining the scroll until he got further away from Konoha. With no money, and no desire to get spotted, Naruto snuck into what appeared to be an empty storage building and lay down to get some rest. Surprisingly the scroll made for a very good pillow.

Xxx In Naruto's Mind xxX

Naruto was once again in the dank sewers of his own mind, standing in front for the giant cage that held the humongous fox.

"**We meet again puny mortal."**

"_Do you have to remind me of that EVERY time I'm here?"_

"**I only speak the truth. If you feel the statement is offensive, then do something about it. When you wake up I want you to _acquire _a new set of clothing. How you do it is up to you, but seeing as we have no money, you're really only left with the options of theft and taking it of a dead body. You have to blend in and even though I'm in here I can smell the foul stench you give off. The clothing must go and you should bathe. And after you have made yourself somewhat unrecognisable, I want you to start studying the scroll, preferably away from all and any civilization. The forests around here provide perfect shelter and supply will you with prey for food. You'll have to do with that until you are strong enough to earn money. As you may understand, hunting will serve as a suitable training at your current level."**

"_Alright. Ne, fox bastard, how'd you get so big? How old are you?"_

"**Enough with the questions, you hairless ape! If you want to know so badly, then you'll just have to prove yourself worthy of knowing. I have nothing more to say to you. Now, be gone from my presence!" **The fox shouted and immediately Naruto felt himself being ejected from the depths of his unconscious minds, depths being a relative term of course. He _was_ only six, after all.

Xxx Back In The Land Of The Living xxX

Naruto jolted up from the hard floor, and noticed that the sun had yet to rise. If he were to guess, he'd only got about five hours of sleep, yet he felt more energized than he had in years. And so he went on to accomplish his latest task. Steal clothing and bathe.

Hours later found a boy clad in surprisingly normal clothes for a boy around his age sitting high up in a tree. There was nothing about him that made him stand out. All in all he just looked normal. Then again there was the fact that he was sitting up a tree reading a large scroll, but aside from that, he was just a normal six-year-old boy.

"Let's see… first jutsu…" The boy said to himself, "… Kage Bunshin no Jutsu… Well here goes nothing!" he formed the necessary seals and gave it a go. He failed. Miserably.

Xxx With Itachi And Hinata xxX

The duo had spent the night sleeping outside. Itachi had decided that since Hinata were to follow him, he'd train her. After all, the chances of accomplishing his goals would improve if she were able to help. He'd started her on basic chakra control exercises, and with the superb control training of the Hyuuga, he expected her not to experience much difficulty with these exercises. Then something quite unusual happened: He was proven wrong. Horribly wrong.

_**Tsuzuku…**_

A/N: I probably won't update for a while… School issues. I won't have access to a proper computer for like 5-6 weeks after this coming Sunday. Sorry. I will however let you know that I have resumed working on my other fic as well, that being, Another Possible Outcome. I have made some progress, and have come to the point of the chuunin exams. I'll try my best to get an update in before school completely does me in. That is all.


	3. Silence

Title: Who am I?

This fic is AU. Any complaints regarding context can be forwarded to my middle fingers.

Summary: The search for an identity.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 2: Silence

Xxx In The Village Of Hidden Leaf xxX

Over two years had passed since the second worst night in the hidden leafs history. The village hadn't completely recovered since that faithful night when the Uchiha Clan was massacred, seemingly by one of it's own, the Hyuuga clan lost it's heiress, the village had lost both a very powerful artefact that had belonged to the Nidaime, the Second Hokage, and the one scroll containing the village's most dangerous and secret jutsu, and as if that wasn't enough, Uzumaki Naruto, holder of the legendary nine tailed fox was gone without a trace.

This night was second only to when the Kyuubi had attacked.

Sandaime Hokage, the current leader of the village was in deep thought. Even though it was a massacre, not everyone had been slain. No, there were two survivors: one who was believed to have committed the crime, and the other, the youngest son of the once proud clan's leader, Uchiha Sasuke. One might have thought the boy would go out of his way to avenge his family, but while that might be a priority, it seemed that the boy found it important to enjoy the days of his youth to their full extent. After all, wasn't it said that the best revenge was to lead a good life? So that's what Sasuke did.

Xxx In The Village Of Hidden Rock xxX

Uchiha Itachi and Hyuuga Hinata had been staying here for the last 4 months. During the almost 2 and a half years they had spent together, they had grown as close as any sibling pair. Even though Hinata had at first had problems with her chakra control, she didn't anymore. With proper instruction from Itachi and praise when it was earned made both her chakra control and feeling of self worth soar, as opposed to when she lived with the Hyuuga, where her father did nothing but look down on her and criticize her every move. A side from control, Itachi had trained her mostly in taijutsu. He knew little of the Jyuuken and its secrets, but what he did know he taught her. So she ended up with her very own style, which was a mix of Uchiha, basic academy and Hyuuga taijutsu. Her white eyes of the byakugan were already trained to the point of mastery.

Itachi, now fifteen was a true force to be reckoned with. He was already a shinobi of S-rank. Even though most people thought of him as a missing-nin, he didn't and for that reason kept his Konoha forehead protector unscratched and safely hidden away in his pocket, awaiting his return to his beloved hidden leaf.

Currently the duo were disguised as a sibling pair, both had blood red hair, orange eyes and very dark skin. This un-natural appearance made all but the shadier villager keep their distance. This was in fact just effect Itachi was going for when disguising them as this, for those with information about criminal affairs would of course be the criminals. Simple logic. And the scarier they looked, the shadier the people who would approach them would be, and the information Itachi was after was the highest level of shady. Who set him up to take the blame for the Uchiha massacre, and why. It was their last lead that had led them to the hidden rock, but now it appeared it was just another wild goose chase. They were scheduled to leave town the next morning.

Xxx In The Village Of Hidden Sand xxX

A boy of eight was walking around his current home. He had spent the last year of his life here. He was dressed in grey pants, a white t-shirt, black sandals and a grey jacket. On his face there was a mask, hiding his identity from everyone, including himself. On the back of his jacket however, was the kanji for 'Fugen' meaning Silence. It was the name given to him by the voice.

:Flashback:

Xxx Deep In A Forest, Far Away From Civilisation xxX

A boy of seven years stared into a lake, examining his reflection. Staring back was a boy with a proud crown of blonde hair, his face hidden behind a mask. The mask was a plain white nondescript mask that covered his whole face. There was no string that held it on, in fact it seemed the mask was burnt into his face. There were two thins slits for eyes and four small circular holes to allow breathing. He had no immediate recollection of the past years. He had lost all track of who he was. All he knew was that one-day he had awoken with the mask on, and no memories whatsoever. How long ago it was he didn't know. Where he was currently situated was another thing that escaped his knowledge. There were trees all around. 1000 steps from the small cabin he had built and was currently living in, was a river. 200 steps in the other direction found a small lake. They served as both training grounds and sources of food. Why he was training, he didn't know, but the voice in his head told him to do it and he did. He felt a sense of devotion towards the voice. Where it came from or whom the voice belonged to he didn't know either. He didn't know what it was that would happen if he disobeyed the voice, but he feared it would leave him. It was his only companion. Always keeping him busy, there was always a new task that needed completion: Train body, train jutsu, get food, cook food, train more, sleep etc. Why he trained, he didn't know, but he did it anyway if only to please the voice.

Re-focussing on his reflection revealed that he wore no clothes on his body save for some makeshift loincloth made from the skin of some animal he'd killed. He had once owned a set of clothing but they were ripped to shreds due to his harsh training regiment and run-ins with the local wildlife. To his knowledge he only owned two items. But the voice had forbidden him from using them, and told him to bury them.

Suddenly he felt nauseated. He knew the voice was about to speak.

"**Child! It is time for you to relocate. During your time in the forest, your strength has increased to a level of satisfaction. Even though you have only reached the human age of eight, your level of power equals your human rank of genin. You will retrieve your possessions, and go to live amongst your fellow humans. They will teach you things that I cannot. However, due to lack of use, aside from your jutsu, your vocal chords have all but dried up. You may experience slight difficulties when speaking. This will only be temporary, as repeated use will restore them to normal. Due to this fact, you will go by the name of 'Fugen'. Once you reach a human settlement I will contact you once more."**

The boy, Fugen, did as he was told, and before long he was on his way. In addition to his loincloth, a cylindrical container was now strapped to his back. It didn't weigh much, and Fugen had forgot what it contained. He only knew the voice said it was dangerous. He ran and ran until the thick forest was no more and instead the ground was sandy and the air was dry.

:Flashback end:

The voice had indeed contacted him again. The morning after Fugen had arrived in the Sand, he had awoken with a bloodied body. In front of him were the very same set of clothing he wore everyday, and a stash of money. The voice had told him to dress in it and have the 'Fugen' emblem sown onto the back. The money should take care of that as well as cover any necessary items he might need for work as a shinobi. Later that day he had shown up at the Suna mission centre as a mercenary for his first mission.

Throughout the year he had progress from genin to upper chuunin level, and the voice was satisfied. Due to his damaged vocal chords and time spent away from civilization, his people skills were far from the best they could be. He had no friends, and most of the humans he met were those in the mission centre giving him a spare mission, and whoever got in his way when completing said mission. To this date he had never failed a mission, and always returned unharmed. That is to say, he _was_ injured, but by the time he arrived back, all his wounds were healed, leaving no trace of them ever having been there. He had the voice to thank for that.

And this is how he found himself reading the mission folder to assassinate a member of the Hidden Sand, a red haired boy roughly about his own age. He was said to be extremely dangerous. He went by the name of Gaara.

Xxx At The Hidden Sand's Public Bathhouse xxX

Jiraiya, one third of the Legendary Sannin of the Hidden Leaf, Toad Sennin, and self-proclaimed Super Pervert was currently conducting his normal research, which consisted of peeping on naked women. Nothing wrong about it, he'd say to himself, they were there, he was there, and he had a book to write.

He sighed as the women started to leave. The hidden sand had some magnificent women, but since water was so scarce, the bath was only open for two hours of the day. But that didn't deter Jiraiya, oh no. He'd get his inspiration one way or another before skipping town. It was days like these he wished he possessed the Byakugan.

Sensing someone behind him, he turned around and saw a boy. His face was masked and his hair was bright blonde. Not knowing why, he decided to follow him. He had a feeling things were about to get exciting.

Xxx With Fugen xxX

Walking around in search for his target was outright boring. Speaking still hurt a lot, so he'd avoid asking for help unless it was strictly necessary. When he had walked past the public bath, he'd notice a strange man, who in turn started following him. Fugen didn't mind this though. He realized that he'd seen this Gaara kid on more than one occasion, but it turned out that when he actually _wanted_ to find him, it was near impossible. If this kid was as dangerous as the mission report would have it, maybe the strange man following him could be of help. Fugen would of course take all the credit, but he welcomed any help he could get.

For this mission, the voice had allowed Fugen to bring his sword. It was one of two items that he'd brought with him from the forest. But this was no ordinary sword; its blade was made of lightning. Sadly, he didn't recall how he'd acquired the sword.

Finally! He sensed a powerful presence watching him. It had to be his target, seeing as there was no one but the strange man following him around. In a raspy voice he said:

"Gaara, show yourself. It's time for you to die." He was simply stating a fact. He never wasted his voice on nonsense.

_**Tsuzuku…**_

A/N: I know I said I wouldn't be able to get another chapter up in a while, but my mind was working overtime and wouldn't leave me alone. I leave for school on Sunday, and will be gone for four weeks. The last remaining days, I'll be spending with my girlfriend. Rest assured that my time away will be spent writing up a nice and juicy chapter or two filled with details on the training done so far, and the upcoming battle, just waiting for me to get my clutches on a PC.


	4. Revelations

Title: Who am I?

This fic is AU. Any complaints regarding context can be forwarded to my middle fingers.

Summary: The search for an identity.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

A/N: This chapter is edited as of Friday the 12th of January.

Chapter 3: Revelations.

"Gaara, show yourself. It's time for you to die." He was simply stating a fact. He never wasted his voice on nonsense.

The sand at his feet suddenly attempted to swallow him, so he jumped onto the nearest building. He turned around and settled his sights on his target.

"Fool," Gaara said. "You don't know what you're doing. Flee or I'll crush you like the rest."

Fugen didn't answer, preferring to charge the small redhead. He threw a rapid combo of kicks and punches, only to be pushed back by the ever-present sand. He launched another attack, this time being as unpredictable and fast as he could, aiming both high and low and everywhere in between. Even so, he still couldn't land a single blow.

"_Why? I was supposed to be done by now..."_ he was confused.

Xxx With Gaara xxX

Gaara stood patiently, waiting for his opponent to tire and realize that it was futile. At the moment they realize that, that was when it was the most fun to kill them. To see all hope disappear in the blink of an eye, replaced with understanding of their impending doom. Though some were too stupid to realize what fate had in store for them even when Gaara had them captured. He couldn't decide which group made the kill more satisfactory, but he figured he'd just have to kill until that time came around. It wasn't as though he minded killing. After all, they were trying to off him, so why should he spare them as much as a …

Something happened. Something new. The instant came and went, and Gaara knew what had happened. The impossible. This imbecile, no older than Gaara himself, had landed a punch, on his right cheek. And it hurt. It didn't matter that Gaara had never been injured before. He knew pain. The only real difference was that this time, it came from the outside.

How though? How could this be? His shield was supposed to be impenetrable. So how could this mere boy, this _human_, land a hit? He looked to the offender. He stood a rough ten yards away, panting hard, yet he wore a cocky smile, as though he thought he could win. To show such insolence to the holder of the great Ichibi was nothing but a one-way ticket to your early grave.

Gaara saw red. His feeling of rage soared to new heights. So much so that it almost became tangible. He lunged at his opponent.

Xxx With Fugen xxX

This was the longest he'd ever spent in a fight with only one opponent before. It was frustrating. One hit was all he'd managed over the long course of this battle. He was starting to feel the strain. But on the other hand, the one hit he had managed to deliver had a profound effect on his target.

At first he seemed stunned, just standing there looking into thin air. Then he became enraged. His entire body became encased in sand, taking the shape of a small tanuki.

"**Child! Watch out! The boy you're fighting is the vessel of the sand demon, Shukaku!" ** The voice all but shouted.

"_A demon eh? No wonder this is taking so long. No matter, he'll still die."_

On the outside, Fugen drew his sword and activated it, making a beam of solidified lightning appear. He countered a tail sweep aimed at his head with the sword and subsequently cut it off, making Gaara, or Shukaku, Fugen wasn't sure anymore, howl in pain.

Xxx With Jiraiya xxX

At first it seemed as though none of the boys were gaining an upper hand, but as time progressed it became clear that the blonde was pushing the redhead, identified as Gaara, back.

But then, just when the blonde had managed to connect the first hit of the fight, Jiraiya recognised the redhead to be a jinchuuriki, for nothing else could explain the waves of energy that rolled off the boy. He prepared to step in, but stopped himself when he saw the blonde wield a sword he knew only too well. It cut through the redhead's sand armour like a hot knife through butter. It was amazing that someone so young could hold off a jinchuuriki with seeming no problems. Granted he was wielding a legendary weapon that once belonged to the 2nd hokage, but legendary or not, his opponent wielded the power of a demon. Another thing was; how had the boy got a hold of the weapon? It was said to have been stolen two years ago, from its resting place in the hokages tower. Surely it couldn't have been this boy who stole it? No, he must have acquired it through some other means. Besides, if he _was_ the culprit, however unlikely, then he would also have been the one to steal the Forbidden Scroll, and Jiraiya couldn't see that anywhere. He decided to interrogate the boy when the fight was over.

He was brought back to reality when a bright flash revealed the sand-encased form of Gaara impaled on the Raijin. To his surprise, the Demon host just grinned and backhanded the blonde, making him fly several yards back. Gaara didn't seem at all fazed by the fact that a sword was sticking right through his stomach. He pulled it out and charged the blonde with the sword held high, ready to cleave the opposing boy in two. It was clear that Gaara had never wielded a sword before. His form was clumsy, and left him wide open, something the blonde took advantage of.

Xxx With Gaara xxX

He swung at the blonde, with all his demonic strength, ready to divide the offending blonde into smaller parts of himself. He missed.

Due to the laws of physics and the amount of force Gaara put into his swing, he was spun around, leaving his back open to the blonde. He swung his re-grown tail at his opponent, and smiled to himself when he felt the hit connect. He was only human after all.

Despite the difficulty Gaara was having with his opponent, he enjoyed himself more than he ever had before. For that, he felt a sense of gratitude towards the blonde, which was quickly erased when an explosive tag that had been attached to his back sent him flying.

In retaliation, Gaara hurled a bunch of suna-shuriken at the blonde. The redheaded demon host grinned when he saw the blonde get hit square in the face by one of the sand projectiles he'd hidden in the shadow of another one.

Xxx With Fugen xxX

Fugen silently thanked the gods for his mask. That hit had serious damage potential. So far he'd been able to avoid serious damage, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to keep it up much longer, unlike the demon he was fighting. He longed for his sword, but the tanuki infested boy still had it. Time to up the level.

"Kage bunshin no jutsu!" he cried with a raspy voice. He cringed at the pain in his vocal chords. With ten copies of himself surrounding the suna demon, he smirked behind his slightly damaged mask.

Gaara studied the offensive weapon in his hand, then deactivated it, and ate the hilt. Then he laughed a high-pitched laugh.

Fugen watched as the demon host ate his weapon and drew a deep breath. Then there was an explosion. Suna shuriken flew everywhere, destroying the clones with ease and caught the blondes unawares once more. Fugen felt his annoyance with that attack rising as he took another hit to the face.

Strange thing was; the mask didn't appear to be affected by the hit at all.

Xxx With Shukaku xxX

He'd hit this _human_ twice! In the face even! Yet he just shrugged it off like it was nothing. At this rate his opponent might survive, and if Shukaku knew anything it was that no _human_ would ever survive his wrath!

He charged.

Xxx With Fugen xxX

He had already abandoned the hope of sticking to taijutsu to spare his voice. But aside form the kage bunshin, the only jutsu in his repertoire that he was really adapt at using, he didn't have the stamina left to try any of the others in his arsenal. Why he only knew high powered and stamina demanding jutsu like that he didn't know, but he did know that attempting the Kage Bunshin again would be a waste of good chakra.

He wrapped five explosive tags around the handle of a kunai and charged the demon head-on. With a desperate burst of speed, he arched around the sand-tanuki, and shoved the kunai straight up the tanuki's ass. His reward was a backhand slap to his face. Ironically, the backhand was the only thing that saved him from being caught in the explosion. When the smoked died down, what was left of Gaara was a pile of sand scattered with pieces of glass. Fugen saw the hilt of his sword half buried in the sand, and made a dash for it.

With a firm grip on his hilt, Fugen jumped away from the sand pile and grinned at his handiwork. Mission complete, time to get paid.

Or at least, that's what he thought...

Xxx With Shukaku xxX

Shukaku screamed, his rage barely contained. He'd just had his ass handed to him by a _human_! If he only had his original body and not this weak human one, then he'd show him! That's when something rare happened; Shukaku got an idea!

Xxx With Gaara xxX

His body rose from the pile of sand, glowing as eerie shade of yellow. Around him formed a dome of sand, and his hands started doing handseals.

Gaara himself was barely aware of what was happening, the demon inside him having taken control after the first explosive tag. Gaara felt the sensation of being high above ground. Through it all he heard the high-pitched voice of his demon yelling curses at his opponent. There were two things Gaara didn't understand. Why the blonde was still alive, and since he was lucky enough to actually be alive, why, when it was obvious that he was fighting a loosing battle, he didn't flee. Gaara would have. Though he doubted Shukaku would let him run very far. Everyone Gaara had ever faced were now pushing up the daisies.

Then he felt it. It came over him like a shockwave, waking him from the daze he had previously been in. A powerful presence. So much so that even Shukaku's power paled in comparison. Shukaku screamed. Gaara smiled. Maybe he'd lose after all. Maybe he'd finally die, and be relieved of the pain. He hoped so.

Xxx With Jiraiya xxX

Jiraiya stifled a gasp. With an almost overwhelming sense of nostalgia, Jiraiya realized who the blonde was.

He was Uzumaki Naruto, and like Gaara, he too was a jinchuuriki. Jailor of the demon fox lord Kyuubi, and saviour of Konoha, courtesy of Jiraiya's former student, the Fourth Hokage. He had been missing for over two years, along with the forbidden scroll and the Raijin. Jiraiya was now positive that since the boy held the Raijin; he would also be in possession of the scroll. Now he_ had _to talk to the boy later, get him to reveal the location of he scroll and return to Konoha.

Having gained this new information, Jiraiya was now sure that Naruto would win one way or another. Kyuubi was the strongest of the tailed demons after all, the only possibility would be if Naruto didn't know how to use the fox' power. Power without control was nothing after all. If it came to that, Jiraiya would personally step in, but first, he'd see how his star pupil's legacy fared.

Xxx With Fugen xxX

When Gaara had morphed into that huge beast, the voice had been furious. Fugen felt the voice's power rush through his system. Then he lost control.

Xxx With Kyuubi xxX

"**Is that puny rodent opposing my absolute power?" **The Kyuubi yelled, forgetting for a moment that his 'absolute' power had been bested by a human.

"**That is a decision he won't live to regret!" ** The fox seethed. His power overwhelmed his host's system, leaving the fox in control, even though it could would only last ten minutes tops, before the seal forced him back in.

Xxx With Jiraiya xxX

When Gaara morphed for the second time, he saw Naruto close his eyes and fall into a trance-like state. He prepared to jump in before the sand demon which he now recognised as the Ichibi, Shukaku won the battle.

Both Jiraiya and Shukaku shivered when the energy hit them.

'_Kyuubi.'_ was their collective thought.

Naruto's eyes snapped open, and instead of the piercing blur from before, a pair of red-slitted eyes appeared.

'_This fight is over.'_ Jiraiya thought as he prepared to leave. As he was about to turn around though, he saw out of the corner of his eye, Naruto, or well the Kyuubi now, jump onto of a building, hands racing through handseals at an inhuman rate.

Jiraiya decided to stay, if only to see what the fox was attempting.

Xxx With Kyuubi xxX

"**Maton: KaKitsune Endan!" **he yelled. Naruto's vocal chords were instantly healed when Kyuubi took control of the body.

The results were instantaneous. A Nine Tailed fox, made of fire, the size of Kyuubi's original body streamed to life from his mouth.

The attack hit Shukaku head on. Shukaku screamed as his body burned in the inferno surrounding his body, and didn't stop until the flames died down. Not because he wanted to stop, but because his entire body was turned into glass.

Kyuubi jumped from the roof he stood on up so he was level with the tip of Shukaku's nose. He threw a punch with all his might, and shattered the glass statue of Shukaku into a billion pieces. Inside it all was Gaara, and when the large form of Shukaku was no more, neither was what held the redhead up, so he fell. And fell, until he crashed into the ground, making a large crater. He was barely conscious to see the blonde boy walking towards him, sword activated.

Xxx with Gaara xxX

'_Now I will finally die. Mother, here I come.'_ Was Gaara's last thought before he, with a smile, gave in to darkness.

_**Tsuzuku...**_


End file.
